Chin seat



M. R. HAYNER July 15, 1969 CHIN SEAT Filed D60. 27, 1965 m m w w.

United States Patent 3,455,300 CHIN SEAT Maria R. Hayner, Laura Franklin Delano Estate, P.0. Box 44, Rhinebeck, NY. 12572 Filed Dec. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 516,260 Int. Cl. A61f 5/04 US. Cl. 128-76 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a chin seat to improve ones posture and provide support for ones neck and chin, and more particularly the invention relates to a one piece element that is constructed to provide both lateral and peripheral support for ones neck and chin. The invention is a form of an isometric exercise device, that strengthens the neck muscles by keeping perfect head posture. The chin seat has a duo-purpose: (1) a surgical purpose, and (2) a cosmetic purpose. It prevents the chin from sitting on ones chest, thereby eliminating some of the causes of curvature of the spine, pains in the neck, false symptoms of various diseases. It prevents and corrects what is popularly known as a double chin, thus eliminating ugly jowls. The chin seat also corrects and prevents what is known as a dowagers hump, that is formed on the back of the neck, between the shoulders. In many occupations, household tasks, sports, and watching television, the chin seat should be worn. When the chin sits on ones chest, 'it prevents proper breathing.

As said above, the chin seat has a two-fold purpose, but these two purposes go hand-in-hand with each other. For instance, while wearing the chin seat to perhaps rid ones self of a burning, searing pain in the back and side of the neck, one is correcting poor head and chin posture. The use of the chin seat is to correct improper head and chin posture, not merely to relieve a symptom. v

Because the center of gravity of the head lies some distance in front of its point of support on the vertebral column, muscular action is required to keep the head in its proper position. This action is carried out by the powerful muscles which originate in the back that are inserted on the base of the skull. When the contraction of these muscles ceases as in sleep, the head nods, or falls forward. The muscles of the neck support the head.

It has been found that protruding discs, both in the neck region and in the spine, have been sources of symptoms that display and mimic symptoms of other diseases. In the Mayo Clinic, it has been found by'neurosurgeons report, that both men and women, ages ranging from 19 to 73 years of age, and having thoracic discs protrusions, that among the more common symptoms were back pains, sometimes low in the back, numbness, muscle weakness in one or both legs, unsteady gait, and various urinary symptoms such as burning and frequency. There have been gratifying results from disc surgery, and substantial improvement without surgery, when diagnosed in the early stages, before permanent nerve damage. The American Medical Association Journal, volume 191, on page 627, implies that correct posture in many cases would tend to eliminate permanent nerve damage.

As is described in Obstetrics and Gynecology, volume 23, on page 43 3, it is found, due to what is called lordotic posture, that often in the final weeks of pregnancy, women 3,455,300 Patented July 15, 1969 complain first of hand numbness, and of feeling that their arms were heavy and achy and then of tingling and crawling sensations and increasing arm and hand weakness. A common symptom was that these women had shoulders slumped over, the spine curved forward, and the neck bent forward as well, possibly due to the extra weight due to exaggerated posture. Exercises that were prescribed for posture correction, including hand and arm exercise and neck support means which brought relief from these symptoms in 7 to 10 days.

An object of the present invention therefore, is to provide a means to improve the posture as well as to provide a memory device of holding ones posture in a correct fashion, to achieve the advantages of the present invention.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simply constructed apparatus that is light weight and easily worn for a short time each day, or when necessary, to initiate correct posture control and improvement that would continue to exist after removal of such device.

A further object of the present invention is to achieve the advantage of a chin support means and accomplish what is produced by isometric exercises.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a generally front perspective view of the chin seat and support means of the present invention and a manner in which it is applied to ones neck and chin in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It can however, be worn without the head and/ or neck strings, when one is not moving around. It takes practice to wear the chin seat Without the strings. FIGURE 1 also shows the neck strings tied around the back of the neck, to keep it in its proper place.

FIGURE 2 shows a generally rear perspective view of the chin seat, when taken from ones neck and when removed from use.

FIGURE 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical line running along the center of the chin seat and support; and

FIGURE 4 shows the edges thereof in broken away view provided with a rubber lip covering.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a chin seat and support member 10, having a concave sheet 12, of papier mache material adapted to fit partially around the neck, and a connecting portion for each of said sheets at peripheral areas 18, 18 thereof which peripheral portions join to form a curved intersection 20, resulting in a composite element of said chin seat.

There are disposed generally vertically along the edges of the concave neck sheet 14, a pair of openings 22, 22 on one side thereof, and a similar pair of openings 24, 24 on the other side, so that a string may be threaded through the openings 22, 22 and 24, and have therein tied together to secure the chin seat and support firmly in place. The same procedure applies to the openings in 18. The strings are threaded through these openings and tied up and on the top of the head. While the chin seat and support is properly placed, and the string 28 extends generally upwardly to its tied position at the rear of the neck and/ or at the top of the head, as shown in FIGURE 1, the chin seat and support holds the flesh portion of the chin securely in place, and provides correct posture for the chin in the support 10, so that the persons entire posture of his body results in substantial improvement throughout.

By means of this substantial tendency of posture improvement, and use of the chin seat and support 10, the chin is not only elevated with respect to ones collarbone by the interposition of the device 10, but in addition the device comes in contact with a substantial portion of the neck area resulting in the exertion of pressure against acting as a further deterrent against the formulation of double chins.

The positioning and use of the chin seat and support does not interfere with the use of ones Adams apple, and it is found to be a device that is easy to wear, resulting in ones inclination to square ones shoulders automatically. It is a physical exercise without motion, and has been found to eliminate spinal aches and pains as well as discomfort in the neck.

The device of the present invention is applied under the chin with the peripheral portion of the concave chin sheet fitting under each side of the jaw bone and the bottom is placed on, what is known as the suprasternum notch, which is the notch in ones clavicle or collarbone. It is in the very center and is the next bone under ones chin. The head is raised and the chin seat is applied while the head is dropped so that the rounded bottom sits in the notch in the center of ones collarbone, indenting the skin with slight pressure of the chin. The rounded bottom of the chin seat which so permits the user to turn his head to the right or left and vice versa. The chin seat is made in various sizes, as small, medium and large, because of the differences in mans stature. The side of the chin seat in most cases, remain the same, but the height varies. To measure ones self for the proper size, one can do one of two things: (a) stand up against a wall looking straight ahead, or (b) lie down flat on the floor, looking straight up, the distance between the chin and the center of the collarbone, or notch is the proper size. The rubber surface may be kept clean by dipping a cloth in soapy water, not detergent, as detergent may discolor the surface.

The concave sheets 12, and 14, may be made of papier mache having a casein, latex and ammonia adhesive to form a plaster type patch that is shaped into the configuration as shown in the drawings. It is then dried, by heating in an oven, after being shaped, then it is sprayed with a 60-65% of a rubber or latex.

As is shown in FIGURE 4, a marginal or over-layer of rubber or latex may be provided to extend throughout inside and outside surfaces of the chin seat 12, 14 including a rubber lip 30 that extends over the edges of the seat 12, 14 to provide a protective covering therefor.

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While there are 33 bones, assembled in ones spine, there are seven of these vertebras that comprise the neck, and by means of use of the present invention these seven bones are adapted to be maintained in a straight or correct alignment, and therefore there is no irregular positioning of these bones so that no pain is derived if a nerve is pinched or otherwise improperly supported or pulled.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiment described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A chin seat and support consisting of a concave formed sheet of plastic coated papier mache material adapted to fit tightly under ones chin, a further concave formed sheet of plastic coated papier mache material adapted to fit tightly over the forward portion of ones neck, and a joint formed between the mating edges of said sheets of material forming thereby a composite element, said composite element having sufficient rigidity to support the head of the user in its normal position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein strings are threaded along certain edges of the composite element and are adapted to be secured about the head and neck.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the composite element when supported by a string from the neck or head, or worn without such string, provides positive improvement while being worn.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 16,300 12/1856 Wilson 297-393 2,284,058 5/1942 Kaiser et al. 297392 2,671,446 3/1954 Mann 128-163 L. W. T RAPP, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

